Call for Papers: Grotius and Toleration
International Conference 17-18 June 2027
University of Zürich, Switzerland
You are kindly invited to participate in a two-day conference on Hugo Grotius and religious toleration, organized by the University of Zürich and the Grotiana Foundation The Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) is widely regarded as a pioneer of religious toleration. Many readers have recognized in his writings a principled defense of the freedom of conscience and the rights of religious minorities. Moreover, as a policy-maker, he personally contributed to shaping the relatively tolerant policies of the Dutch Republic with regard to Christian and non-Christian minorities such as Jews. In Grotius’s view, all human beings were endowed with certain natural rights, which had to be respected, regardless of religious differences. As the Dutch jurist explained, forcing non-Christians to accept the Christian religion was ‘judged as improper and unlawful by all people with common sense, as religion should not be enforced.’ However, even for Grotius, there were certain limitations to religious toleration. For instance, Christians were not allowed to subject themselves to the authority of non-Christians, as it could lead to apostasy. Moreover, to protect the unity of the Christian state and religion, members of different Christian denominations (e.g., Calvinists and Arminians) could be forced to go to the same churches and accept a number of principal points as necessary for salvation. As Grotius emphasized, religious toleration had to be legally regulated: if necessary, it could even be enforced by the state.
The proposed conference will explore Grotius’s ideas about religious toleration and its limitations. Is the general image of Grotius as a pioneer of religious toleration justified? What does toleration mean in Grotius’s work and how did his ideas change over time? How can the ‘toleration’ that Grotius speaks of be described? How does it relate to the idea of otherness? Does he have more than ‘Duldungstoleranz’ in mind? Does he advocate a conception of toleration aimed at mere coexistence, or at genuine respect for different religious beliefs? And what limitations to religious toleration does Grotius propose to protect the unity of the Christian state and religion?